Long Live
by Whurmy
Summary: I will probably change the title eventually. And someday I'll come up with a summary that isn't lame. Alex/Mitchie Demena
1. I Content

**Author's Note: This is going to be the only A/N in this story. First off, I'm sorry for clogging your inbox if I'm on your author alert list and you got an email for every chapter. I don't know if that's normal, but it happens to me with stories I'm not alerted to so. Yeah. (: Secondly, this is nine chapters long and each chapter focuses on a different emotion. It's in order, so it's actually a story and not just drabble. Some chapters are from Alex's POV, some are from Mitchie's, so I'll post whose POV it is under the title of each chapter. (:**

**I really hope you guys enjoy this. I've been working on it since January and the idea came to me in December. o_o So you better review! :P**

Content  
(Alex)

Sleep was tugging at her, tauntingly waving her in with promises of the sweetest dreams. She fought it off and struggled to keep her eyes open and focused on the mess of hair on her stomach. Her fingers brushed through the unruly brown curls over and over again, not fast enough to wake Mitchie up, but fast enough to keep Alex awake. She sighed, the weight of Mitchie's head on her stomach setting butterflies loose through her body and making her smile. A yawn begged to released, but she held back and turned her attention to the screen in the corner of the small room. It was already two in the morning, but she wasn't ready to sleep yet. She may not get a chance like this again for a while. It was rare when she was allowed to sleep over at Mitchie's, since both of their families knew they were together.

The title menu of National Treasure was playing in a continuous loop, making Alex frown and reach reluctantly for the remote. She really wasn't a fan of the movie, it took more effort to pay attention to it than she cared to put forth. History and riddles were not Alex Russo's forte, but it was one of Mitchie's favorite movies.

A smile tugged at Alex's lips when Mitchie's grip on her tightened. She moved her hand from Mitchie's hair to her back, gently drawing little shapes and writing sweet words on the material of her tank top. Mitchie hummed quietly and Alex grinned. She was just too cute. Her grin slowly faded into a faint smile and her hand settled on Mitchie's side as she finally let herself fall asleep.


	2. II Nervous

Nervous  
(Alex)

The dim light from the lamp on the nightstand gave the room a warm, soothing glow. She knew she should have been calm, relaxed. But with Mitchie topless and hovering over her, that was proving to be difficult. The lips on her neck and hands roaming over her stomach had her nerves on edge. She tried telling herself that it was normal, that being this horribly nervous was perfectly fine. But when Mitchie's hand brushed the lace of her bra, she caught Mitchie's hand and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt Mitchie freeze over her, felt her eyes studying her, reading her like the open book she was.

"Alex?"

"I'm sorry, Mitch." Mitchie's hand turned in her own and laced their fingers together. Her hair was brushed from her face and warm lips pressed against her forehead and cheek before delicately brushing her lips. She smiled shyly as Mitchie pulled away to look at her.

"You okay?" Mitchie's voice was quiet, barely a whisper, and Alex opened her eyes to look at her. The familiar dark brown eyes that had been clouded with the same desire she'd had just moments ago were calm. Concerned. Patient.

"Why aren't you scared?" Alex asked. Mitchie smiled sweetly down at her and held the back of Alex's hand to her chest. Mitchie's heart thumped hard against her chest, against her hand.

"I am. But I love you." Alex smiled again, feeling her own heart jump a little at the statement. "And the way you're looking at me right now..." Mitchie kissed her again, just as carefully as the last time, and ran the back of her fingers over Alex's cheek. "I know I'm safe with you." Alex blushed and leaned into Mitchie's touch as she cupped her cheek. Mitchie watched her for a minute, just gazed at her in the way that always made her breath catch in her throat. She tilted her head in the absolutely adorable way that always made her fall in love just a little bit more. "You're beautiful, you know."

And just like that, she knew she was safe, too.


	3. III Beautiful

Beautiful  
(Mitchie)

Her eyes narrowed against the harsh sunlight flooding in through the parted maroon curtains. She blinked hard and opened them again, a smile instantly pulling at her lips when she remembered where she was. She carefully untangled herself from Alex to sit up and admire the sleeping girl. Her pale skin was a perfect contrast to the raven hair that was covering most of the pillow under her. Mitchie smiled to herself and brushed a few stray hairs away from Alex's face. Alex murmured something in her sleep and Mitchie smiled down at her.

The same pressure in her stomach that woke her up came crashing back and she reluctantly left Alex's side to slip into the bathroom.

x

Mitchie gasped as she stepped out of the steamed bathroom and into the cold hotel room. Alex smiled at her from the newly opened window and Mitchie blushed from the look she was giving her. Her eyes raked up and down Mitchie's legs and she swallowed hard. Mitchie lived for these moments. She'd never been one to dwell on her insecurities, but she never thought someone would look at her the way Alex did.

Alex's eyes returned to hers and set off a whirlpool in her stomach. Alex walked up to her, settled her hands on Mitchie's hips and kissed her softly, sweetly. "You're perfect." Alex whispered against her lips. Mitchie smiled shyly and hid her face in the crook of Alex's neck, melting into the other girl as her arms slid around her waist and held her tight.

She'd never believe that, but she'd settle for feeling the way she did every time Alex looked at her.


	4. IV Empty

Empty  
(Mitchie)

Mitchie pulled their old ford pick up onto their street with a tired sigh. She didn't know how this day could get any worse. It started when she stopped by Starbucks on the way to rehearse with Nate and his brothers. Not only did the barista mess up her order, but she managed to spill it all over herself and her phone. She had to go back home, when she was nearly to Nate's, to put on a change of clothes.

Then, after she finally got to Nate's, she realized that she left her guitar home. Shane had been kind of enough to let her use one of his, but it just didn't _feel_ right. So, there went another forty-five trip to and from her house, and another five dollars in gas. By the time she made it to Nate's for the last time of the day, it was already over two hours past the time they were supposed to start rehearsing for a gig they had later in the week.

Then Jason and his clumsy self, and his big fucking foot, stepped on her guitar. _Through_ her guitar. None of them have the four hundred dollars to get her a new one, so they had to cancel their show. After a few choice words with Jason, she tore our of their driveway and sped home. By the time she made it to their neighborhood though, all her anger just vanished. All she wanted to do now was have a good long cry and watch a movie with Alex.

She lazily turned the oversized steering wheel and rolled into the driveway. Smiling a little at the house she shared with Alex, she slung her bag over her shoulder and stumbled out of the truck. She slammed the rusty door closed and made her way to the house. After finally getting her keys out of her purse, she dropped them trying to get the right one. She nearly started crying right there. She sucked it up and angrily swiped her keys off the step and unlocked the door.

She chucked her purse on the coffee table and hung her jacket on the hook beside the door. She couldn't remember ever being so happy to be home.

"Alex?" Mitchie's voice echoed through the quiet house and she frowned. Something was off. She kicked her shoes off and carefully stepped towards their bedroom. The light was on, but Alex wasn't in there. Mitchie leaned back and checked the bathroom. Door open, no Alex. She sighed sadly and leaned against the door frame. Alex was probably out with Harper. "Damn it." She turned back to the bedroom and her stomach dropped.

Alex's stuffed bear wasn't on the bed. Mitchie crossed the room and checked the floor on Alex's side of the bed, tensing when she didn't see it. She stood back up and looked around the room. Several small trinkets were missing from the top of their dresser. Her stomach lurched and she hurried to the closet door, nearly ripping it off its hinges. Half of the shirts were missing. She desperately returned to the dresser and opened every single drawer, slamming each one shut when they revealed more of Alex's things were gone. A hard lump formed in her throat and she slammed the sixth drawer shut with a frustrated scream.

She ran into the bathroom and tore the shower curtain open. Only one bottle of shampoo. She checked the tooth brush holder and medicine cabinet, finding just half of what should have been there. Her head spun and she frantically checked the living room. The magazines that usually littered the coffee table were gone, along with the blanket that used to cover the back of the couch. Mitchie eyed the kitchen hesitantly. She walked to the fridge and reached for the handle with shaking hands. Not a single jar of pickles.

Mitchie's heart sank and landed in her stomach with a nauseating _plop_. She weakly pulled herself into a stool at the kitchen island and took in a deep, shaky breath. It was then that she noticed the white note sitting under the salt shaker. She slid the paper out from under the glass and read it.

_I saw you with him. I'm moving in with Harper for a while._

_I hope he was worth it._

Mitchie's breathing comes in short, shallow pants. She throws the note angrily into the trash bin and slams her fist into the hard counter top. Pain shoots through her hand and she lets out another scream. The sound bounces off the walls and the disgusting empty house and right back into her ears.

Her knees shake and threaten to buckle under her when she makes her way into the bathroom, but she drags herself there without falling. She digs through the hamper until she finds an old, faded Ugh band tee and she holds it tight against her chest. The smell of Alex's perfume fills her lungs and she leans against the wall, sliding down until she hits the cold tile with a thud.

Mitchie buries her face in the black material and lets it soak up her tears and muffle her sobs. Her heart pounds dully against her ribcage, but she doesn't feel it. All she can feel is the cotton on her cheeks as her cries echo through the house.


	5. V Regret

Regret  
(Mitchie)

The pounding on her front door grew louder and Mitchie gritted her teeth.

"Go away, Shane!"

"Not until you talk to me." She growled under her breath and turned the TV off to answer the door. "Finally." Shane sighed and moved to walk past Mitchie and into the house, but she put her hands on his chest and pushed him back out. He looked at her, confused. "Are you mad at me?" She didn't know how to answer that.

"What do you want, Shane?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"I want to know why you've been avoiding me."

"I haven't been avoiding you." She defended lamely. He stared at her. "Fine, I've been avoiding you. Get over it." She snapped and went to shut the door, but he slipped his foot in and pushed it open.

"What is wrong with you?" He demanded. She tightened her grip on the door knob and glared at him.

"It's none of your damn business."

"It's none of my business if my girlfriend ignores my calls and texts?"

"I'm not your girlfriend, Shane."

"You know what I meant." He said quietly. Mitchie looked down at her socks and tried to calm down. This was her fault, not his. But that didn't make her want to punch him any less.

"We're done, Shane." She said. He nodded and shrugged.

"I kind of figured, but at least talk to me. What's going on?" She hesitantly looked up at him. Shane was her best friend before he was her... He was a good guy. He at least deserved to know why. She took in a deep breath.

"Alex left me." She answered quietly. His eyes widened before they softened and his shoulders slunk.

"Oh."

"Yeah." She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "You should get out of here, Shane. I can't..." Her voice cracked before she could finish and she swallowed hard. "I just can't." He nodded slowly and cleared his throat.

"I understand. Just, uh... call me if you need anything." She nodded, but they both knew she wouldn't.

"Okay." He didn't say anything else as he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked back to his car. She shut the door before he could look back at her. Her back hit the door and she slid down to the floor the same way she'd done in the bathroom a week before. She leaned her head back against the wood and stared at the living room.

Her heart felt like it weighed a ton inside her chest. Each thump against her rib cage wore her out and all she wanted to do was crawl back under the covers and pretend that none of this happened. But the smell of Alex's perfume was starting to wear off of the blankets and pillows, her bed wasn't the haven it was the first few nights.

Her chest tightened the more she thought about Alex and she squeezed her eyes shut against the tears stinging them. The small house was silent as it watched a tear leak out from underneath her eyelids and she cursed.

She opened her eyes and blankly looked around the living room. She wanted to turn back time and stop herself from ever even _looking _at Shane the way she did. She'd never hated herself more than she did the past week. Her bottom lip trembled when she looked at the bare back of the couch and she bit it hard.

She shouldn't be crying. She brought it all upon herself. It was _her_ fault. If she'd known it would have come down to this, she would have rejected Shane's advances and reminded herself that she had the perfect girlfriend waiting for her back home. Now, she had nothing. She had absolutely nothing. And it was all her fault.


	6. VI Hope

Hope  
(Mitchie)

It's been two months, three weeks and six days since Alex moved in with Harper and Mitchie's rushing around the house, pulling on her jeans with her tooth brush hanging out her mouth. She barely makes it back to the bathroom sink before some stray toothpaste falls out of her slightly open mouth. She finishes brushing her teeth and zips up her jeans. Her cell phone screams 6:47 when she checks it and she runs to pull on her shoes and jacket.

Mitchie shakes the entire ride to Harper's. Her thumbs nervously tap the steering wheel to the drum beat of the song on the radio and she tries to stop herself from sweating through her shirt. She checks her hair and makeup at every red light and one last time before turning onto Harper's street.

Alex is waiting on the front step, twisting her fingers nervously in front of her, when Mitchie pulls up in the driveway. Harper's standing beside her, glaring at Mitchie as she slips out of the truck with half a dozen yellow roses in hand. Harper rolls her eyes and scoffs, but Alex nearly melts and Mitchie breathes a little easier.

"They're beautiful Mitch." Alex gushes as she carefully takes them from her hands. Butterflies bounce around in Mitchie's stomach when Alex's hand brushes hers and she blushes.

"Not as beautiful as you." It's cliché and it's not the first time she's used that line, but she doesn't miss the way Alex smiles and ducks her head.

"I'll go put these in some water." She murmurs and smiles at Mitchie before slipping inside. And then it's just Mitchie and Harper. Harper stares at her for several long, painful seconds before Mitchie nervously meets her eyes.

"Have her home by ten." Mitchie winces at the way she says "home", but she nods.

"Will do." Alex comes back outside and Mitchie internally sighs in relief. That was more awkward then when she'd met Alex's father. "Ready?" Alex smiles and nods.

"Ready. See you, Harp!" Harper smiles a fake smile and hums in response, but Alex shakes it off. Mitchie follows her to the truck, all too aware of the holes Harper is attempting to burn into her back.

x

Taking Alex to a theme park is probably the best idea Mitchie's ever had. Alex's eyes sparkle in the light coming from the rides and game booths and Mitchie's heart stutters in the best way every time she looks at her. It's their first date since Alex moved out, and the first time they've really been alone together. Their playful banter slows and Mitchie bites her lip. Their physical contact has been restricted to fake punches and playful nudges, but she's going insane not being able to hold Alex's hand. She flexes her fingers nervously and hooks her thumbs in her jacket pockets before she can do anything stupid.

Alex is quiet beside her for several moments and Mitchie is about to ask if she said something to upset her when Alex's hand tugs Mitchie's from her pocket. Alex laces their fingers together, gives her hand a gentle squeeze and Mitchie nearly faints.

x

Not even the drive back to Harper's is enough to wipe the goofy smile off Mitchie's face. An old school Kelly Clarkson song is blaring through her speakers and Alex is singing along at the top of her lungs, whipping her hair side to side and making the most dramatic moves Mitchie has ever seen. The song ends and Alex turns the radio back down as they pull into Harper's driveway. Mitchie's out of the truck and opening Alex's door before she can bring herself to unbuckle her belt. Mitchie smiles when Alex blushes and takes her hand to help her out of the truck.

They walk up to the front door hand in hand and Mitchie sighs sadly. The past four hours couldn't have gone by faster if they tried. Alex turns under the porch light to look at Mitchie.

"Cheer up, Rock Star. It's not the last time." Mitchie smiles at the nickname and holds Alex's hand just a little tighter.

"I hope not." Alex smiles back at her and leans in to press a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Goodnight, Mitch." Alex slowly takes her hand back and starts walking backwards towards the door.

"Goodnight, Lexy." She waves just before shutting the door and Mitchie walks back to her truck with the biggest grin in her face and the best feeling in her stomach.


	7. VII Need

Need  
(Alex)

It's been one hour and thirty seven minutes since Alex moved back in with Mitchie, and she just can't take it anymore. It's one of the hottest days California has seen this summer and no matter how many fans they turn on or how many windows they open, it just keeps getting hotter. Then again, Alex is pretty sure that the temperature of their bedroom has absolutely nothing to do with the summer heat.

Mitchie's wearing one of tightest tank tops Alex has ever seen, and the shorts she replaced her jeans with earlier that day weren't helping. Alex squeezes her legs together to ease the pressure that just won't stop growing, but that only makes it worse.

"Alex?" Alex looks up from Mitchie's hips to her eyes.

"Hm?" Mitchie just smirks and shakes her head.

"Nothing." MItchie answers, turning back around to finish putting Alex's clothes in the closet. Alex's eyes automatically snap to Mitchie's ass and she bites her lip to stop whatever ungodly noise _that_ was. She squirms anxiously on the bed, the old mattress creaking under her weight and Mitchie glances over her shoulder at her. "You okay over there?"

"Mhmm." Alex squeaks. Mitchie laughs and hangs up the last shirt before facing her.

"I might believe you if you could answer me with anything that doesn't sound like a moan." Mitchie says, smiling when Alex blushes.

"Shut up and come here." Alex replies, holding her hands out to Mitchie, who raises an eyebrow at her.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Everything." Mitchie grins and goes to the bed to straddle Alex's legs.

"Well I'm not gonna say no to that." She mumbles against Alex's lips before kissing her. Alex's hands find her waist and her fingers pull at the hem of Mitchie tank top. Mitchie's breath catches in her throat when Alex's lips leave her own to press hot kisses on her neck and her grip on Alex's shoulders tighten.

"I haven't had a decent orgasm in four months." Alex murmurs against Mitchie's neck, sending chills up and down her spine. Alex smirks at her reaction and rakes her nails over Mitchie's sides. "I've missed you." Mitchie's eyes darken at her words and Alex slides her tongue over the column of Mitchie's throat. "Lay down." Alex's voice is low and Mitchie is shaking as she slides off Alex's lap and onto the bed beside her. It's Alex's turn to straddle Mitchie and she presses her hips against Mitchie's and she pins the brunette's hands over head.

"Fuck." Mitchie hisses and bucks hard against Alex. Alex's lips find her pulse point, her teeth graze the sweaty skin and Mitchie moans under her. The sound makes Alex's stomach twist and one hand trails down Mitchie's arm, across her chest and down her stomach to quickly undo the button and zipper of Mitchie's shorts. She kisses the corner of Mitchie's panting mouth and stands up just long enough to hastily pull off Mitchie's shorts and panties. She slides down her own skirt and soaked underwear before sliding between Mitchie's legs and kissing her heatedly.

Mitchie's hands are on her shoulders and her nails trace over the hollow of Mitchie's hip bones. Her left hand settles on Mitchie's waist, but her right hand wanders lower and glides over Mitchie's center before teasingly rubbing her thigh.

"Lexy." Mitchie whimpers, looking up at Alex desperately and she nearly loses it from the look in Mitchie's eyes. "Please." Alex's stomach clenches in the most delicious way at the tone in Mitchie's voice and she gently slides a finger between Mitchie's slick folds. Mitchie's nails dig into her shoulders and her breathy moan mixes with Alex's.

She trails hot, open mouth kisses along Mitchie's neck and leaves bite marks on Mitchie's collarbone. Alex repositions herself so she's straddling one of Mitchie's thighs and gasps when Mitchie's leg touches her center. She hasn't been this sensitive since their first time together. Alex grinds down on Mitchie every time she runs her finger over Mitchie's clit and it's not long before she's shaking and panting under her. Alex slows her movements and kisses Mitchie's neck delicately while she calms down.

"I love you, Mitch." Mitchie giggles as her lips tickle her jaw and she turns her head to kiss Alex.

"Love you too, but..." Alex squeaks when Mitchie flips them over and lays on top of her, rubbing her hands over Alex's chest. "It's your turn." She doesn't get a chance to reply before Mitchie's kissing her way down her stomach.


	8. VIII Pride

Pride

(Alex)

Alex has never been backstage to a concert before, but she can't believe the chaos that goes on behind the curtain. Her "escort" finally shows her the door to Mitchie's dressing room and she slips into the sound proof room with a relieved sigh. Mitchie looks at her through the mirror at the vanity and smiles crookedly at her.

"Hey." Mitchie's voice is shaky and Alex smiles reassuringly at her. Alex walks up behind the brunette and wraps her arms around Mitchie's neck, plating a firm kiss to the top of her head.

"Hey Rock Star. You nervous?"

"Very." Alex nods and looks in Mitchie's eyes through the mirror. She can tell.

"You ready?" Mitchie smiles at Alex's question and turns away from the vanity to look at her. Alex locks her fingers behind Mitchie's neck as the girl's arms wrap around her waist.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Alex grins and kisses Mitchie's forehead.

"That's my girl." Three quick knocks come from the door and Nate pops his head in.

"Five minutes, guys." Mitchie nods and Nate shuts the door behind him. The click of the latch makes Mitchie tense and Alex cups her cheeks, tilting her head up to meet her eyes.

"You're gonna do great, Mitch." Alex whispers quietly, rubbing her thumbs in circles on Mitchie's cheeks. "They're gonna love you."

"How do you know?" She sounds close to tears and Alex smiles down at her before kissing her slowly. When she pulls back, Mitchie's eyes are still closed.

"Because they'd be absolutely insane not to." Mitchie takes a deep breath and smiles up at her.

"Thanks Alex."

"Anytime." She answers cheerily and checks the clock above the vanity. "Except for this very moment." Alex grabs Mitchie's hands and pulls her up from the bench. "You've got a concert in two minutes." Mitchie nods enthusiastically and grabs the guitar leaning against the wall before taking Alex's hand and dragging her through to hoards of people rushing around and to the side of the stage. It's not Mitchie's tour, she's just an opening act for Connect 3, but Alex knows how important this performance is. Everything that Mitchie's worked for since they were twelve is riding on tonight.

Mitchie's bouncing on her heels, squeezing her hand in time with the beat of her heels and Alex chuckles.

"Slow down there, you're gonna need that energy." Mitchie stops and smiles up at her, not an ounce of fear on her face. Alex laughs at her. She's practically glowing.

"Give it up for Mitchie Torres!" Shane's voice makes Mitchie face the stage and the crowd is roaring in her ears. Suddenly her own anxiety catches up to her and she kisses Mitchie's temple before pushing her on stage.

"Kill it, Rock Star." Mitchie grins over her shoulder at Alex before taking the mike away from Shane.

"Hey guys." Mitchie's voice is confident and casual, like the ten thousand screaming fans are all her closest friends and Alex smirks. Mitchie's continues once the cheering quiets down. "I wrote this song with Nate about six months ago. I hope you guys like it."

Alex smiles so big when she hears the familiar notes to Stop The World that she's almost worried her face will freeze that way. She's heard this song nearly every night before bed for the last three weeks. Mitchie keeps looking over at her during the chorus, smiling the same lovestruck smile she knows she's wearing. Mitchie's owning the stage like she's done this a thousand times and Alex's throat tightens. The last word fades, crowd goes absolutely insane and Mitchie laughs when some of them yell for an encore.

"Thank you!" Mitchie says into the microphone before hurrying off the stage with a small wave. Alex throws herself at Mitchie after she puts her guitar in the safe hands of a stagehand. She wraps her arms around Mitchie's waist and squeezes her hard. "Hello to you, too." Mitchie laughs.

"You were amazing, Mitchie!" Alex exclaims, pulling back just in time to see a light blush cover Mitchie's cheeks.

"I did okay?" Alex scoffs at her and shakes her head.

"No. You did great." She answers just before kisses Mitchie sweetly. "I'm so proud of you." Mitchie smiles at her and cups her cheeks.

"Aww, Alex. Are you crying?" Alex blushes and buries her face in the crook of Mitchie's neck.

"Don't change the subject." She mumbles. Mitchie laughs and wraps her arms around Alex's middle.

"I always knew you were a softie."


	9. IX Speechless

Speechless  
(Both)

The right pocket of Mitchie's jeans felt like it had a boulder in it. She swallowed hard as she ran her hand over the square bump in her jeans, conveniently hidden by her jacket. Unless of course Alex walked in just then. Then she'd ask why Mitchie was feeling her leg. She pulled her hand away from her pocket like it burnt her and made sure her jacket covered it again. The leg that wasn't being weighed down bounced nervously under their small dinner table and she checked her wrist to look at a watch that didn't exist. She chuckled under her breath. She'd never worn a watch.

Her head jerked up as the door to their new apartment opened and Alex walked in, looking exhausted. Mitchie's heart picked up speed in her rib cage when Alex saw her sitting at the table with dinner ready. Alex's face lit up and she smiled at Mitchie in a way that made her heart melt. Mitchie crossed the living room, casually pulling her jacket to cover her jeans, and gave Alex a sweet kiss.

"Mitch." Alex said dreamily when they pulled apart. "I love you." Mitchie smiled and pulled gently on Alex's hands to lead her to the table. "What'd you make?" Alex asked, standing on her toes to see past Mitchie's shoulder.

"Well," Mitchie started slowly. "Everything I know how to make."

"Okay, so, chicken and macaroni?" Alex asked, grinning.

"I also attempted to make mashed potatoes. They were instant. Nothing was broken." She answered quickly, noticing the faint look of panic on Alex's face. "But the rolls took two tries." Mitchie finished shyly, holding up two fingers.. Alex laughed and turned away from the food to kiss Mitchie.

"It's perfect." Alex mumbled against Mitchie's lips, squeezing her hands reassuringly. Mitchie blushed and squeezed back before releasing her and taking her seat. Alex slid into the chair across from her and they dove into talking about their days.

All through dinner, Mitchie was a nervous wreck. Thankfully, Alex was too in love with the food to notice the two times she nearly knocked over her water or how often she ran her hand over her leg.

"No, no." Mitchie said when she saw Alex start to stand to clear away the table. "I got it."

"Are you sure? You made it, I can at least-"

"I'm sure." Mitchie interrupted gently, leaning over to kiss Alex's temple. Alex watched her carefully as she collected the plates and glasses, but she said nothing else and relaxed in her chair.

Mitchie's hands shook as she turned on the hot water to rinse off the plates in the kitchen sink. Her mind was on overdrive and she took a deep breath. She knew it was silly. They'd talked about getting married since they were twenty, but she also knew Alex wanted to wait. For what, Mitchie was never entirely sure, but she knew there wasn't much else to wait for. They had their careers, they were stronger now than they ever had been. She could wait until they were twenty-five, the age Alex always said she'd wanted to get married at, but what would two years hurt?

She took in a shaky breath as she dried her hands.

"I can do this." She whispered to herself, turning back to the dining room. "I can do this."

x

Alex's mind was far away as she stared out of the sliding glass door to their balcony, watching the slowly moving lights of the city spread out below their apartment and biting her lip in thought. She may have let it slide, but she noticed that something was definitely up with Mitchie at dinner. Mitchie didn't even get nervous on stage anymore, so why was this simple dinner making her knock over her water and ram her knee into the table?

Alex closed her eyes and smiled as Mitchie pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. She turned in her seat and uncrossed her legs to turn to her girlfriend. Mitchie was on one knee on the floor in front of her and Alex's heart leaped up into her throat.

"Mitchie?" She whispered, shakily taking the hand that Mitchie offered to her.

"I love you, Alex. I love you with everything inside of me, and I know that's never going to change. I need you like I need oxygen." Mitchie gave Alex's hand a soft squeeze and her eyes seemed almost desperate. "I know you wanted to wait until we were a little older, but..." Mitchie took a deep breath and pulled a small, deep blue box from her pocket. Alex's stomach felt like it was trying out for gymnastics when Mitchie let go of her hand to open the box.

Alex knew absolutely nothing about engagement rings, but she was pretty sure that the one in the little blue box wasn't from Walmart. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart stuttered in her chest.

"Alexandra?" Alex looked up from the sparkling diamond and into Mitchie's eyes. There was something so _magical_ about the way Mitchie said her name. "Will you marry me?"

Alex couldn't speak. Her vocal cords were tied into double knots and she couldn't swallow past the lump they formed in her throat. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She cupped Mitchie's cheeks and kissed her, pressing their lips together to say what she just couldn't get out. Alex grinned as she pulled back and stroked Mitchie's cheeks with her thumbs, ignoring that _she_ was the one who was crying.

"Yes."

Mitchie's face lit up and Alex wrapped her arms around Mitchie, squeezing her so tight she almost couldn't breathe.

"I love you." Alex choked out, her chest fluttering when Mitchie giggled and gripped the fabric of Alex's shirt fiercely.

"I love you, too, baby." Mitchie squeezed her eyes shut and grinned. "I love you, too."


End file.
